Adjustable Shower Cap

ABSTRACT

An adjustable fit shower cap and method of use involving a hair covering; a protective overlay around the base; and, an adjustable band that is more comfortable, more durable, larger and that better protects elaborate hairdos.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application claims priority to Bonnie Gelberg's provisionalapplication Improved Comfort Oversized Shower Cap, Ser. No. 62/349,740filed Jun. 14, 2016.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an improved shower cap that is morecomfortable, more enduring and adjustable.

Description of the Related Art

Shower caps have existed for many years. They are used by people toprotect their hairdos. Some people have extravagant hair styles thattake many hours to create and they wish to protect them. For example,people in the public eye such as those attending weddings, photoshoots,filmings, political speeches or other events may engage a stylist tocreate the right look, but there may be several hours or even daysbefore they may disturb their hair. In other cases, the hair treatmentsmay require the hair to go undisturbed for an extended period of time.

Existing shower caps solve these problems, enabling the wearers toprotect their hair from the elements and in many cases bathe or showerwithout disturbing their hair.

There have been many solutions and improvements for shower caps over theyears. However, they remain uncomfortable. Existing bands on shower capscause discomfort for the wearer particularly when a higher gaugeplastic, waterproof fabric, and/or cellophane film is used for the capmaterial. Moreover, shower caps are only typically used for one or twouses and intended to be thrown away. It has long been desired to have amore environmentally conscious, multi-use and comfortable shower capthat avoids using ribs or bars to form its shape.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention that can protect the most extravagant of hairdoswhile providing the user with a comfortable fit and a reusable showercap. The invention improves upon the prior art by providing a largershower cap of a heavier gauge that retains its shape without the need toribs and has an adjustable base that can be closed with a pull tie, pushbutton slider, toggle spring stop, or other cinch and/or clasp mechanismenabling the cap to be adjusted to the different sized heads andhairdos. It is more economical to manufacture, durable and effectivethan other prior art shower caps and hair protectors. Yet it isinexpensive enough to be disposable and regularly replaced.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin example adjustable shower cap the invention is not limited to thedetails shown because various modifications and structural changes maybe made without departing from the invention and the equivalents of theclaims. However, the construction and method of operation of theinvention together with additional objects and advantages thereof willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description with referenceto the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of an embodiment of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a bottom up view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of a prior art shower cap.

FIG. 4 depicts a bottom up view of a prior art shower cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a side view of the improvedshower cap. The shower cap has a pull string 200, a string closer 300, alower band covered with an overlay 100, and a hair protecting bag 400.The overlay 100 protects the inner band and the head of the user. FIG. 2shows a bottom up view of the shower cap, the pull string 200, a stringcloser 300, and overlay 100 enclosing a string. In some embodiments,enclosed in the overlay is an elastic band. The hair protecting bag 400is preferably made out of a water-proof or water-resistant material ofsufficient gauge/firmness that it retains its form without the need forribs or wires. Polycarbonate PC with a thickness of 0125 MM and othermaterials containing about and near some of the following the physicalproperties of gravity g/cm3 ASTM D792 1.2 and Water absorption % ASTMD570<0.40 and Mechanical Tensile strength MPa ASTM D882>55 andElongation at Break % ASTM D882>90 and Young's modulus MPa ASTM D7902000 and Thermal performance of the thermal expansion coefficient Cm/cm° C. ASTM D696 7×10-5 and Thermal conductivity of W/m·K ASTM C117 0.19and Shrinkage % ASTM D1204<0.3 (135° C.) and Brittle transitiontemperature ° C. ASTM D746-130 and Vicat softening point ° C. ASTM D1525150 and Flame retardant—UL-94 V-2 and Electrical Properties Dielectricstrength kV/mm ASTM D149 30 and Dielectric constant 60 HZ/100 HZ ASTMD150 2.98/2.95 and Surface resistivity Ω ASTM D257>1×1015 and Volumeresistivity Ω·cm ASTM D257>1×1016 and Arc resistance sec ASTM D495 haveproven effective, but any material that is comfortable and has thewater-resistant and shape conforming characteristics may be used. Thesecharacteristics only show particular desired embodiments and a widerange of attributes could easily be substituted for other embodiments ofthe invention. In some embodiments of the invention, the hair protectingbag 400 is able to surround a volume fifty percent or greater than thevolume of the hair style intended to be protected. The hair protectingbag 400 is ideally large enough to avoid contact between the shower capand the hair to prevent the shower cap altering the hair style whileprotecting the hair from the elements (e.g. heat, water, wind, dust andother contaminants, processes and things that might alter the hair orits styling).

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 3 depicts a side view of a prior artshower cap. The shower cap has a lower ridge 500. FIG. 3 depicts abottom up view of the prior art shower cap it shows the lower ridge 500is formed from an inner elastic band 600. The invention improves uponthe prior art by using the overlay 100 to protect the user's head fromthe ridge 500 and reinforcing the bottom edge of the shower cap. It alsoprovides a channel for the adjustable pull string 200. By adjusting thepull string the user is enabled to adjust the tension of the lower ridge500 around the user's head. The overlay 100 may be made out of anycomfortable material, but an anti-microbial and preferably water proofmaterial should be used. The larger hair protecting bag 400 of anantibacterial/antifungal self supporting shape conforming materialreplaces the need in the prior art for more expensive ribs or wire tomaintain the shape of the shower cap. Having a uniform surface 400 forthe hair protecting bag and an overlay 100 for the bottom ridge makesthe improved shower cap, amongst other things, more effective, easier tomanufacture, clean and reuse.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention areefficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to theinvention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill inthe art, which modifications are intended to be within the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed. It also is understood that theforegoing description is illustrative of the present invention andshould not be considered as limiting. Therefore, other embodiments ofthe present invention are possible without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shower cap comprising: a hair covering; aprotective overlay around the base; and, an adjustable band.
 2. Theshower cap of claim 1 where the adjustable band further comprises astring.
 3. The shower cap of claim 1 where the adjustable band furthercomprises a elastic band.
 4. The shower cap of claim 2 where theadjustable band further comprises a string closer.
 5. The shower cap ofclaim 3 where the adjustable band further comprises a string closer. 6.The shower cap of claim 4 where the string closer comprises a togglespring stop.
 7. The shower cap of claim 5 where the string closercomprises a toggle spring stop.
 8. The shower cap of claim 6 where thehair covering comprises an approximate mechanical tensile strength MPaASTM D882>55.
 9. The shower cap of claim 7 where the hair coveringcomprises an approximate mechanical tensile strength MPa ASTM D882>55.10. The shower cap of claim 6 where the hair covering comprises apolycarbonate with a thickness of approximately 0.0125 MM.
 11. Theshower cap of claim 7 where the hair covering comprises a polycarbonatewith a thickness of approximately 0.0125 MM.
 12. A method of protectinga hairdo: covering a hairdo with a shower cap, wherein the shower capcomprises: a hair covering; a protective overlay around the base; and,an adjustable band.
 13. The method of protecting a hairdo of claim 12where the adjustable band is adjusted with a toggle spring stop.
 14. Themethod of protecting a hairdo of claim 13 where the hair coveringfurther comprises a polycarbonate with a thickness of approximately0.0125 MM.
 15. The method of protecting a hairdo of claim 14 where thehair cover further comprises an approximate mechanical tensile strengthMPa ASTM D882>55.
 16. The method of protecting a hairdo of claim 15where the hair covering further comprises an approximate waterabsorption % ASTM D570<0.40.
 17. The method of protecting a hairdo ofclaim 12 where the hair covering surrounds the hairdo by approximately50% or greater volume than the hairdo.
 18. The method of protecting ahairdo of claim 17 where the polycarbonate hair covering is selfsupporting.
 19. The method of protecting a hairdo of claim 18 where thepolycarbonate hair covering has anti-microbial properties.
 20. Themethod of protecting a hairdo of claim 19 where the overlay is the samematerial as the hair covering.